Flirting Lessons
by theonewhosawitall
Summary: To keep up with Chat's flirting, Ladybug asks Rena Rouge to teach her to become smoother. It's going well until Chat Noir inturrupts one of their lessons, in a fit of jealousy.


Chat Noir landed on the roof top where Ladybug and Rena Rouge were waiting. The Ladybug and the fox were standing on the chimney pot, framed by the low, huge moon, that was gleaming silver light around them, like a spotlight for heroes. Chat landed in the shadows, to climb onto the chimney. Then, hidden and unnoticed, he heard the way Ladybug was talking.

"You really are fantastic, Mr Fox," Ladybug purred.

Her voice gleamed with a sultry undertone. Chat Noir raised an eyebrow. Clearly, he had missed something. His Lady, and their new partner, this Rena Rouge character, appeared to be... flirting?! At least, Ladybug was. Then the fox giggled back, and tapped Ladybug's nose with a long finger.

"That's _miss_ fox," she flirted back.

"A real vixen, I can tell!" Ladybug winked.

"Yes, I am, but I'm not looking for a bed bug just yet."

"I'm a special kind of bug, foxy, and I can be your bugaboo."

Chat Noir scowled. No she couldn't! She was his bugaboo, not hers! No one got to call her bugaboo but him, how dare she?!

"I'm not that easy Ladybug," Rena warned.

"Don't worry, I like a good chase. I hear foxes are fast on their feet," Ladybug teased.

"Fast in a lot of places, but not where it counts," Rena winked.

Ladybug broke into laughter that sounded a little less flirtatious and a little more genuinely tickled. Rena grinned, and pushed her shoulder. The silvery tones of their voice were one thing, but the playful flirting body language was quite another.

Rena's voiced eased back into her regular tone. "Get it together girl! Anyone would think you were a pushover at this sort of thing."

"Sorry, sorry, I just..." Ladybug took a breath as she regathered herself, "I like a guy that can make me laugh."

"Well I'm one funny fox."

"I noticed."

"What else did you notice?"

"Um," Ladybug bit her lip. She wasn't entirely sure what to say next. Then she noticed the way the moonlight was reflecting off of her eyes. She smirked. "I noticed your eyes."

"My eyes?" Rena repeated, curiously.

"The windows to the soul," Ladybug nodded.

"So they say," Rena agreed.

"If it's your soul I'm seeing than you are an angel. Who else could be so beautiful?"

Rena giggled, and turned her face away, pretending to blush. Chat Noir frowned. The only person he ever saw blushing and looking away like that while flirting was Marinette, when he tried to flirt with her as Adrien, which was rare. She didn't even react like that when Chat tried to flirt with her and he was one smooth cat. Rena was hamming this up.  
Chat Noir's cheeks flushed red with jealously. He was confused as hell, and annoyed about it. Rena's soft voice edged him deeper into annoyance.

"Why are you staring?"

"Because I'm not supposed to touch the masterpieces," Ladybug countered quick as a flash.

Rena grinned, "Well someone's got to pin them to the wall."

"Is that a statement, or a suggestion?"

"Why don't you try it and find out?"

That was the last straw. The last damn straw. Red in the face, head spinning with confused jealousy, a green-eyed cat became a green-eyed monster as he leapt out of the shadows.

"What is happening right now?!" He demanded.

Ladybug spun around and gasped when she saw him. She turned so red her face was practically glowing.

"Oh! Chat Noir! Rena and I were just... talking..."

"That didn't sound like talking," Chat spat.

"What does talking sound like to you?" Rena asked, coolly.

she was so entirely unphased by the interruption that it annoyed Chat even more and now he was positively boiling with fury.

"Like - like - like this! Like words, and - and sentences, and not like - not like what y-you were doing that- that wasn't talking like this is talk- talking," Chat Noir stammered, too flustered to explain.

Rena cocked a smirk. "That didn't sound too much like talking either."

Chat Noir scowled. "You ought to try talking less! It might keep you out of trouble!"

"What trouble?" Rena frowned, "I'm in no trouble."

"If you want my Ladybug you'll have to fight me for her!" Chat hissed.

The cataclysm in his claws tingled. He hadn't yet used it on a person, although he had come close a few times. He didn't dare use it now, he wouldn't use it on a person for something so pathetic, but he could feel it. Just in case...

"Chat you can calm down," Rena snorted through pinned back laughter, "we're just playing!"

"Playing?!" Chat snarled, "playing?!"

"Yeah. Ladybug and I are just having a lesson."

"A _lesson_?" He sounded angrier.

To soothe him, ladybug explained in her calmest voice, "A lesson on flirting. Queen Bee tries with her insults, but it's easier to trap people with flirting, and I'm not very good at it."

"I wouldn't say that, bugaboo?" Rena elbowed Ladybug, pointedly.

"She's _not_ your bugaboo!" Chat snarled again.

His ears were red and hot from the boiling rage in his stomach. Ladybug and Rena shared a look. You know the one. It says a thousand words but boils down to a question mark. Then they stared back at him, with that same look.

"Possessive and jealous is not a good look on you," Rena warned.

"Yeah kitty I think you need to control your jealousy. You could end up causing an akuma if things are this bad," Ladybug said.

Chat Noir's mouth suddenly twisted. Guilt hit him like an anvil and his jealous-green eyes darted away from her gaze. Ladybug tilted her head. Something was wrong, and she only needed one word to break it out of him.

"Kitty?"

Chat sank even lower. Her tone melted through him, as it always did, and he felt the truth slipping out, even if he didn't want it to.

"I... I already did... my Copycat only copied me because I told him we were dating. He was in love with you and I..."

"Caused me a lot of guilt thinking I caused it by not turning up to the unveiling!"

Her voice was hard now. Tough and vicious at how he had the nerve to guilt her when she should have been guilting him! Rena laid a hand on Ladybug's shoulder.

"Ladybug don't be too harsh. You caused an akuma with your jealousy too."

"Yeah, but I owned up to that! I didn't try to pin it on Chat!"

Chat's ears were flat against his head. Rena could help her so frustratingly easily, as if they had been friends for years rather than weeks. Chat couldn't help being jealous.

"I... I'm sorry..."

"It's a little late for that isn't it?" Ladybug snipped.

"Buggy, at least he's sorry. Come on, we were having fun! Calm down a little, and we'll try and get that fun back," Rena smiled.

Ladybug had been having fun. Alya was so smooth when she wanted to be that trying to keep up with her made Marinette smooth too. The freedom of the mask and no one knowing if they were gal pals or just best friends made them a little more ridiculous. Constantly battling side by side made them a little more physical, all that grabbing and catching and whatever, it spilled over into their friendship. Once Rena and Ladybug had had to pretend they were Kuzco and Pacha, arms linked, back to back, walking up a gap they had been thrown in to avoid a blender situation below them. The next day they linked arms walking down the street to let the other know that they were safe. Both of them had survived, because of each other.  
That kind of thing cements a friendship, y'know?

Like, Nino and Adrien were closer than ever recently. Ever since Chat Noir had chosen someone to be Carapace, and Ladybug had chosen someone to be Rena Rouge, they had been put in a strange situation. Chat Noir and Ladybug had promised each other they wouldn't let their choices get between them. That they would stay as close as they had been. But they had someone else now, someone who knew their secret, and they couldn't help letting those bonds strengthen, even when their own withered.  
Ladybug glanced over at Chat Noir, remembering that promise. She had been ready to fight for their bond. Now though, she was beginning to change her mind.

"I think I've had enough flirting for one night..."

Chat raised his head. "Ladybug-"

Ladybug interrupted, "Night Rena."

She was already leaping away before Rena could stop her. She stared at Ladybug as she shrank into vanishing, and sighed.

"Night..."

Chat Noir frowned sheepishly. Guilt boiled away the jealousy, and left him feeling awful. Rena folded her arms and tutted at him, scowled.

"Wanna hear something funny?"

"Not really," he muttered.

Rena continued, ignoring him, "She's trying to learn to flirt so she can one up you next time you start. It was going to be a surprise."

Chat Noir gasped in surprise and the guilt deepened again.

"Really?" He asked softly.

"She likes you Chat. You make her a better fighter. You gotta rein in that jealousy," Rena stated.

Chat scowled. He didn't know who Rena was, Ladybug had chosen her, and she had stolen her affection from him. Chat had chosen Nino to be Carapace, but he hadn't let him come between him and ladybug. Not consciously any. Rena, _Rena Rouge_ , she stole Ladybug away with flirting lessons, and stole his pet name for her, and he snarled under his breath with mad jealously. He couldn't stop himself from snapping at her.

"Oh what would you know?!"

Rena scowled back. Chat Noir may have been a hero for longer than her, but they were in an equal playing field. She would not allow him to undermine her.

"More than you think. Don't get snippy at me because she's closer to me in five months than she is with you after three years. That's your fault too. Letting jealously get in the way all the time! If you grow up and reason we're only here to help you, maybe you wouldn't need to be so jealous."

She was sharp and stubborn with a vicious tone that put him back in his place. He hung his head and shifted his toe in the dirt, sulkily.

"I said I'm sorry," he muttered.

"Don't just say it, prove it!" She stated, still sharp.

She was a good babysitter. Using her mum-voice on him, worked because he wasn't used to it.

"How?" He asked.

"I don't know! A gift?! Roses maybe, chocolate I guess, whatever you do, make sure it works!"

Rena left without another word. Carapace gave a long sinking whistle. No one had noticed him at the other end of the roof, because he was hiding in the shadows.

"That was hard to watch," Carapace said.

Chat Noir pretty much collapsed. He had no excuses and he didn't want to try one.

"Let's go home Nino," he said.

Nino stopped him, and held him up by his armpits.

"How are you going to fix this?" Nino asked.

Chat sighed. "I don't know."

"Girls love bubbles."

"Bubbles?"

"Dude, everyone loves bubbles."

"I think she's more a balloon girl."

"you sure?"

"no…"

"You know her better than anyone, balloons or bubbles?"

"balloons."

"Then you and I are going balloon shopping!"

I'll save you the next day's mad trek around Paris's shops searching for the perfect balloon to apologise with. The only line of interest from the entire day came from Nino. "If you keep inhaling helium we can tie a string to you and give you to Ladybug." Eventually they found a little party shop with themed children's party decorations. They had balloons shaped into Ladybugs. If that didn't work, Adrien was all out of ideas. It was Carapace that phoned Ladybug in the end. She wouldn't answer Chat's calls.

"He just wants to make amends."

"He had time to make amends before now, he didn't even admit he did it!"

"Ladybug I know he's made mistakes, but I need you to try. Hess willing to!"

"HE'S-"

Out of shot of their video chat came a voice that they recognised as Rena Rouge, but Nino thought for a moment that it was Alya. Her mum-voice was engraved on his mind.

"Mar- Ladybug you are a hero! You two are guardians of Paris and the city needs you! We need you together too. Because whatever you do, however you argue, he's your partner and your friend. So-"

"ALRIGHT!" Ladybug snapped, "alright, I get it. Tell him I'll be waiting on top of the Eiffel tower."

She vanished as she hung up sharply. Carapace and Chat Noir cheered together.

"YES!" Carapace raised his hand, "gimme some fin!"

Chat high fived him immediately, with all the power he could muster, "You're the greatest Nino!"

"I know dude. Go on now, don't keep the girl waiting!"

By the time Ladybug landed on the top where Chat Noir was waiting, he was beginning to regret the idea of bringing her a helium balloon. It was dangling a little too dramatically in the window.

"For a minute I didn't think you'd come," he said.

"I told Rena I would come so I'm here. A hero doesn't lie," she said, sharply.

Chat sighed. His shoulders sagged sorrowfully. The best way to get over this was to just get over it.

"Right... um, I wanted to explain myself. I told Theo you and I were dating because Theo had a crush on you, and I thought he'd be too blatantly better than me to be a rival. If it came to me or Theo, you'd choose Theo. It's the obvious choice. He's tall and handsome and creative and smart and an artist. Not to mention totally in love with you. Me, I'm annoying and full of bad luck and bad puns, and you don't like that, but that's who I am, so going up against Theo... I shouldn't have told him we were dating, especially without consulting you. It was wrong. And it caused an akuma that I tried to beat alone which got me into more trouble that if you hadn't saved me from I could have lost my miraculous, and honestly, I could have died... I learnt an important lesson that day and I should have told you sooner, but I was ashamed. I guess I thought if you didn't know it wouldn't be as bad... I don't know... anyway, I'm really sorry."

Chat Noir handed Ladybug the balloon sheepishly, and gave a little shrug, like he had no idea how to convey what he had left to say, if he had anything left anyway. Ladybug took the balloon, and sighed. All the anger in her was floating away. When she looked at Chat, with his ears drooped like that, she couldn't stay mad at him.

"What am I going to do with you kitty?" She said.

He bowed his head lower. She reached out and brushed his fringe from his forehead.

"At the time I wouldn't have taken either of you for a date, but if it came down to you and him dangling over a cliff... well we'd find a way to save both of you, we're superheroes!"

He reached out, hesitantly, and took her hand. Chat Noir lost a bit of the tension he had found now she allowed him that close. The scarlet ribbon trailing from the shiny foil balloon coiled around her wrist like a snail, and he tied it to her, so it wouldn't escape. Instinctively he tied a bow. It made her smile a little.  
There were photos on instagram of girls with foil balloons, or bunches of balloons tied to their wrists, with their other arm around their boyfriend's neck, and his hand on her waist, and they were either kissing or about to kiss. Those pictures ran through his mind like he was scrolling through instagram then and there. But that little bit of hope was snatched away as quickly as it was formed.

"Yeah..."

She stepped closer to his now, so there was barely any distance between them. He still couldn't bring herself to look her in the eye, but he felt something deep in his chest. Hope. Hope she might like him back. Hope, at least, that maybe she'd forgive him.

"But if we weren't, I'd have saved you. You're my partner kitty. I'll always choose you," she tapped his nose.

He was unable to stop himself smiling. "Promise?"

Ladybug reached up on her tip toes and kissed his forehead. His heart melted in his chest. As she came back down, her hand was still on his arm.

"Promise."

Chat Noir smiled at her, already blushing. The longer she looked at him like that, the deeper his cheeks flushed. Ladybug strolled away from the new statue of Chat Noir that she had created right here on the roof top. The balloon trailed from her wrist still, dancing on the breeze.

"Thanks for the balloon," she called over her shoulder.

Chat Noir stammered, but he didn't have an actual reply. She was gone too fast. All he could think was that kiss. That she would choose him, and she had kissed him. God, she was amazing!

Alya had one arm (the one with her phone in her hand) over her stomach, and the other up right so her elbow sat on her waist, with one finger on her cheek, looking thoughtful. Marinette came back with a plate of cookies, and Tikki on her shoulder.

"Sorry, we couldn't get away without eating these extra cookies papa baked," Marinette explained.

"Oh yeah, because extra cookies are such a burden," Tikki scoffed.

"Don't be greedy Tikki," Marinette said, handing the kwami another cookie anyway.

She wandered in, kicked the door shut with her foot, and placed the plate on the table. Trixx, the little orange fox kwami, reached over from where she was curled up in a ball. Her fluffy tail hid her face so she couldn't quite see how far she had to reach. Tikki held her cookie in her mouth and picked up another one. Before Marinette could scold her, she leaned over and stretched the cookie out into her hand. Marinette smirked. She ran a hand over Tikki's antenna affectionately. Tikki's antenna laid in a curve over her head, like a wave, and she held onto the cookies with both hands. She smiled up at Marinette behind the cookie. Marinette smiled softly. She looked up and Alya was still staring at the balloon.

"Alya? What's wrong?" Marinette asked.

Alya turned by the waist, and gestured to the balloon with her free hand. "Balloon?"

Marinette glanced up at it. The foil was reflecting scarlet light over the wall. She couldn't help smiling, as if the red were her own blush.

"From the cat."

Alya gave her a confused look and turned to give the same look to the balloon. "I'm sure I said roses. Chocolates if he wanted to push the boat out, but this? This is pathetic."

Marinette wandered to her side and handed her a cookie. Alya bit it as Marinette examined the balloon. Both were treating it strangely like an art piece, like it held secret messages they were trying to decode curiously. Marinette shrugged, smiling.

"I like it."

"You would. You're in love with him!"

"That doesn't mean I can't like balloons! I'm a balloon kind of girl!"

"Really? I'm more of a bubble girl," Alya said, as if this was an interesting difference between them.

Marinette nodded, as if she too thought this was an interesting difference between them. "Anyway, that's how Chat is. He's erratic and unique and a little ridiculous. It's part of his charm."

Alya laughed. "Girl you've got it bad."

"I know. I can't help it. I'm in love with him!" She confessed.

Alya wrinkled her nose. "Gross."

Marinette laughed, throwing her head back as she did. "Well not everyone is as gorgeous as you."

Instantly Alya fell back into flirt mode to help train her up. "You think I'm gorgeous?"

Immediately, while blushing, Marinette started flirting back. "I think you're down right foxy!"

"What're you going to do about it then?"

"What'd you want me to do?"

"Pass me another cookie!"

Marinette laughed again, and reached for the plate so Alya could have another cookie. Things had changed now that Alya knew her secret, and Marinette had given Alya a secret of her own. They were closer than ever. Better than ever.  
And they would pull Chat into their way of thinking, working together to do it, to make him as comfortable with Rena as he was with Ladybug.  
That's what friends are for.


End file.
